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 Cape Coral has a number of fresh water canal sections that do not provide access to the river and thus are not considered Gulf Access. The homes on these canals can be very nice and the waterfront can actually be very picturesque, BUT they are not as expensive as saltwater Gulf Access homes. If your intention is to fish in the Gulf, then you will have to trailer your boat from one of these fresh water canals to a ramp such as the two provided at the Yacht
Club or Everest Parkway.
Boats in the saltwater of Cape
Coral and Fort Myers must either be bottom painted every six months or removed
from the water on almost a daily basis. If your boat is kept in the water for as
little as one week, you will get a build up of barnacles on the hull which are
very difficult to remove. So remember that when you purchase waterfront you will
have to plan for the welfare of your boat. Bottom painting is probably the least
expensive method but you will have to constantly check the condition of the
paint and be careful about beaching your boat. Areas that get the bottom paint
rubbed off will quickly acquire barnacles. Boat davits are hard on the lifting
points of your boat and are time consuming and awkward to use. If you can find a
resale home with a boat lift, it is often worth the extra price. A 6,000 to
10,000 pound boat lift that will accommodate a 26 to 30 foot vessel.
There are a variety of accessories and galvanized versus aluminum construction will affect your overall price. If you are building a lift, then try to have it angled out in order to give you more maneuverable access. Remember that a build up of barnacles will have a significantly negative impact on performance and can even cause fiberglass blistering and hull damage.
The wider the canal, usually the more expensive the lot and consequently the more expensive the home. However, this is not always the case and circumstances of the seller may dictate his price. If you can purchase a home on a wider canal for the same price, this tactic will ultimately pay off on resale. There are basically three sizes of canals in Cape Coral and a variety of sizes in Fort Myers. Cape Coral canals are 80, 120 and 200 feet. Fort Myers generally don’t run much wider than 100 feet but can be as narrow as 40 feet. A wider canal will give you more backyard privacy, an easier approach to the dock, less chance of stagnant water and are generally deeper.
There are two major canal areas that although designated on maps as saltwater, which they are, are impassable without having to go through a lock or over a lift. West of Chiquita Blvd., most canal front homes are behind a lock. In the the Northwest of the Cape, towards Pine Island, there is a lift.
Either area may be acceptable to some boaters, but if you are out frequently, or boating in the evenings, these areas may not meet your needs. The homes in the Southwest of Chiquita Blvd. are for the most part, very upscale and of the new Florida architecture. However, don’t be fooled by prices which may or may not reflect the lack of unrestricted access.
Mean low tide is possibly not a term familiar with fresh water boaters. Its effect in this area can be critical to a boater’s access and docking procedures. On average, the tidal change is approximately 1 to 2 feet. However, that will change substantially based on season, weather and other conditions. Seasonal changes may affect the tide by one or more feet plus tropical storms can essentially suck all but a few inches out of the canals or push in many more feet of tidal water. Therefore, it is important to select a home with as deep a canal and as functional a waterfront as possible.
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Riverfront on both sides of the
Caloosahatchee River is very desirable and falls within a separate pricing
category. For the most part, pricing of Fort Myers waterfront property is 50% or
higher than comparable Cape Coral waterfront property. Riverfront is in a
premium price category and it can vary depending on square footage,
neighborhood, river/canal corner, etc.
Although riverfront is picturesque, if you are a frequent boater who takes
almost daily excursions, then you may find that the water may be too rough to
get your boat back onto the lift. Which brings me to the issue of a lift. On the
river, it is almost paramount to have a boat elevator or a lift if you have any
respect for your boat. Very little else will keep your boat from getting smashed
against the dock. Whips just do not seem to work and davits are a headache to
use in rough conditions.
If you are a long time boater and are familiar with other bodies of water which are probably on average deeper than the Caloosahatchee, the river can be deceptive. Marked channels don’t always mean sufficient depth for a deep drafting vessel. If you need deep water for your boat, you must not only ascertain depth at the dock, but all the way from the Caloosahatchee river channels. Many canals at the mouth may seem deep enough but by the time you wind your way to your prospective home, you may find large variations in depth. All canals are not dredged to the same depth, nor are they consistent across. Oyster bars or coral accumulation may present further hazards.
One of the biggest mistakes
that is made, but difficult to avoid, is selecting a waterfront home to not only satisfy your current needs but also should address future requirements.
In order to accomplish this, some thought must be given to examining your short term requirements and at the same time, ponder possible medium and long term needs as they may change from your immediate plans. If your boating is comprised of leisurely trips through the canals on a deck boat, you will be able to evaluate homes in a much wider area which may include central Cape Coral or waterfront sites that are located behind one, two or even three bridges. Remember that most antennas will have to be dropped to go under most interior bridges. Even a lock or lift may not pose a problem in meeting all of your short to long term boating objectives. The basic warning here is that if you think you may move from a small boat to a sailing vessel or some other style of boat, you should incorporate this probability into your decision making. The costs associated in selling a home in order to change location as a result of different boating requirements, is expensive. If you feel you will be a frequent boater and require quick Gulf access for deep sea fishing, a home to satisfy those needs will be very much different from those boaters that are seasonal and infrequent and may only intend to captain a 26 foot or less vessel.
If you are from up North and have not spent alot of time in this area during the summer months, it is important to realize that the afternoon sun can be very intense. If you have an easterly exposure at the front of the house then the sun will warm your pool in the morning and provide relief from the sun in the afternoon. Your comfort throughout the seasons will be affected by either a positive or negative exposure. If possible, the right exposure may protect your boat from excessive afternoon sunlight which fades gelcoat and create a buildup of heat in the cabin, which can adversely affect instruments. Be careful in selecting the right exposure for your lifestyle.
The Bimini canal in Cape Coral, although referred to as a sailboat access has a 55 foot height restriction due to overhead power lines and the area north of the Cape Coral Parkway bridge has a 55 foot restriction at center due to bridge height. For the most part not many sailboats have masts this high, but some do and it could be an expensive mistake if you do and buy a home in one of these areas. Another poor access area is at the mouth of Whiskey Creek where there is very little depth and the channel is narrow at best. Boats which do not have outboards will be difficult to maneuver in and out at low tide. Town and River, The Landings, Palmetto Point, Deep Lagoon, and Pepper Tree Pointe all have reasonable depth and are all marked for channel entry. Areas in the Bonita Bay area are also very shallow and the bottom is constantly moving. At low tide, some areas are impassable.
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